Real Food: What to Eat and Why
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By: Nina Planck
Format: Paperback
From: Bloomsbury USA
Pub. Date: May 2007
From: Bloomsbury USA
Pub. Date: May 2007
Product Details:
Catalog: Book
Release Date: 2007-06-12
Media: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 352
Ean: 9781596913424
Isbn: 1596913428
Catalog: Book
Release Date: 2007-06-12
Media: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 352
Ean: 9781596913424
Isbn: 1596913428
ABOUT THE BOOK
EDITORIAL REVIEW
Hailed as the “patron saint of farmers’ markets” by the Guardian and called one of the “great food activists” by Vanity Fair’s David Kamp, Nina Planck is single-handedly changing the way we view “real food.” A vital and original contribution to the hot debate about what to eat and why, RealFood is a thoroughly researched rebuttal to dietary fads and a clarion call for the return to old-fashioned foods.
In lively, personal chapters on produce, dairy, meat, fish, chocolate, and other real foods, Nina explains how ancient foods like beef and butter have been falsely accused, while industrial foods like corn syrup and soybean oil have created a triple epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The New York Times said that Real Food“poses a convincing alternative to the prevailing dietary guidelines, even those treated as gospel,” and that “radical” as Nina’s ideas may be, the case she makes for them is “eminently sensible.”
In lively, personal chapters on produce, dairy, meat, fish, chocolate, and other real foods, Nina explains how ancient foods like beef and butter have been falsely accused, while industrial foods like corn syrup and soybean oil have created a triple epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The New York Times said that Real Food“poses a convincing alternative to the prevailing dietary guidelines, even those treated as gospel,” and that “radical” as Nina’s ideas may be, the case she makes for them is “eminently sensible.”
USER REVIEWS
"This book is a real eye opener! Planck provides information on diet and backs it up with scientific evidence in a readable fashion. I thouroughly enjoyed this book and it has definitely changed the way I look at what I am eating."
~ Written on 2008-10-02
~ Written on 2008-10-02
"An eye opening book with a perspective that some may not immediately gravitate to.
Basically, to me, the general concept of moderation applies to all things, whether diet or exercise among the many things we all deal with and this book brings these points home.
Over the years industry and science has provided great strides in the production of food, yet at the same time have also bought other things that have a negative affect on our bodies.
Though I feel some thingss are off in this book or lacking, the general concepts of how we eat (and really more importantly what we eat) shines through. Having tried to be careful it is nice to know that things I may want from time to time will not be detrimental, with the understanding that a bit of control is always needed - I will not find myself eating cheeseburgers 5 times a day, but wil not beat myself up when I find myself wanting certain things from time to time."
~ Written on 2008-09-25
Basically, to me, the general concept of moderation applies to all things, whether diet or exercise among the many things we all deal with and this book brings these points home.
Over the years industry and science has provided great strides in the production of food, yet at the same time have also bought other things that have a negative affect on our bodies.
Though I feel some thingss are off in this book or lacking, the general concepts of how we eat (and really more importantly what we eat) shines through. Having tried to be careful it is nice to know that things I may want from time to time will not be detrimental, with the understanding that a bit of control is always needed - I will not find myself eating cheeseburgers 5 times a day, but wil not beat myself up when I find myself wanting certain things from time to time."
~ Written on 2008-09-25
"With "Real Food" Nina Planck has written a very personal book. As the saying goes, I mean that in a good way.
By "personal", I mean addressed to *you*. (Or rather, me.) But certainly not addressed -- and this is damned refreshing, given her topic and thesis -- to the great unwashed, whom one would hope get around to reading this after scarfing down their microwaved low-fat chicken casserole, washed down with some skim milk or maybe a Diet Coke. Stylistically, she has me right away; this is about "real food" for *me*. (As the author clearly demonstrates, those other dimwits will be dying off soon enough anyway.)
And I'm glad she has my personal attention because she's got plenty of ground to cover. Her grand nutritional ideas range from simple to complex: simple in that her advice boils down to reverting to our ancestor's diet of meats, dairy, grains and plants - what we ate before all that nasty "industrial" and mass-produced stuff started infecting us all - and complex in that this argument requires some pretty deep-diving into nutritional biology. If you don't care to stomach long tracts comparing the virtues of omega-3 vs. omega-6 fats or deconstructing how the body processes cholesterol you'll probably want to move on.
But before I make this sound like some kind of dusty science tome, know that Planck's complex arguments support her beautifully simple, yet radical thesis: that by just eating "real foods" -- real meat (with fat!), real cheese, real milk (whole!), eggs, veggies, poultry (skin on!), etc. -- we can avoid *all* the modern dietary scourges (obesity, heart disease, cancer) and have great-tasting meals as well. While I found her oft-repeated -- and not terribly convincing -- "we've always eaten this way" harangues a little tiring I can't argue with her research; all the aforementioned science appears awfully convincing, even from an admitted amateur nutritionist.
Still, her case isn't quite airtight and the personal (as opposed to, say, moral or political) approach neatly avoids some unpleasant ripostes. For example, the "industrial" foods Planck demonizes have made a wealth of calories and food choices affordable to those without access (for whatever reason) to anything "real". This economic argument doesn't apply to me personally but I was a little surprised that Planck doesn't seem to think that anyone needs to make these trade-offs; indeed, one searches in vain for *any* economic considerations in "Real Food" which is curious since choosing what to eat, though important, is only one consumer choice among many. "Eating as we always have" also has more than a few obvious blind spots, since modern eaters won't be inconvenienced with diseases, parasites and spoilage that afflicted foods before "industrial" technologies eradicated them. Planck appears to hit the limits of her approach when discussing some *real* throw-back nonsense called the Paleo diet: "... I was surprised to learn that the rise of farming was not entirely good news for human health ... Farming did cause a population boom ... but general health declined." I'd invite her to compare "population" (being *alive*) against "general health" and see which most human beings (of any era) would prefer.
For the audacity of her thesis and depth of research, Ms. Planck still earns her four stars. "Real Food" tells a good story (though one would think the publisher could have afforded printing layouts that actually separate sidebars from body text), supports its arguments and provides a mountain of nutritional information. If you want to eat better - and can afford to - she'll tell you how. If you can't afford it, well, I'm sure you can find the latest fad diet book on a remainder table at a substantial discount.
"
~ Written on 2008-09-21
By "personal", I mean addressed to *you*. (Or rather, me.) But certainly not addressed -- and this is damned refreshing, given her topic and thesis -- to the great unwashed, whom one would hope get around to reading this after scarfing down their microwaved low-fat chicken casserole, washed down with some skim milk or maybe a Diet Coke. Stylistically, she has me right away; this is about "real food" for *me*. (As the author clearly demonstrates, those other dimwits will be dying off soon enough anyway.)
And I'm glad she has my personal attention because she's got plenty of ground to cover. Her grand nutritional ideas range from simple to complex: simple in that her advice boils down to reverting to our ancestor's diet of meats, dairy, grains and plants - what we ate before all that nasty "industrial" and mass-produced stuff started infecting us all - and complex in that this argument requires some pretty deep-diving into nutritional biology. If you don't care to stomach long tracts comparing the virtues of omega-3 vs. omega-6 fats or deconstructing how the body processes cholesterol you'll probably want to move on.
But before I make this sound like some kind of dusty science tome, know that Planck's complex arguments support her beautifully simple, yet radical thesis: that by just eating "real foods" -- real meat (with fat!), real cheese, real milk (whole!), eggs, veggies, poultry (skin on!), etc. -- we can avoid *all* the modern dietary scourges (obesity, heart disease, cancer) and have great-tasting meals as well. While I found her oft-repeated -- and not terribly convincing -- "we've always eaten this way" harangues a little tiring I can't argue with her research; all the aforementioned science appears awfully convincing, even from an admitted amateur nutritionist.
Still, her case isn't quite airtight and the personal (as opposed to, say, moral or political) approach neatly avoids some unpleasant ripostes. For example, the "industrial" foods Planck demonizes have made a wealth of calories and food choices affordable to those without access (for whatever reason) to anything "real". This economic argument doesn't apply to me personally but I was a little surprised that Planck doesn't seem to think that anyone needs to make these trade-offs; indeed, one searches in vain for *any* economic considerations in "Real Food" which is curious since choosing what to eat, though important, is only one consumer choice among many. "Eating as we always have" also has more than a few obvious blind spots, since modern eaters won't be inconvenienced with diseases, parasites and spoilage that afflicted foods before "industrial" technologies eradicated them. Planck appears to hit the limits of her approach when discussing some *real* throw-back nonsense called the Paleo diet: "... I was surprised to learn that the rise of farming was not entirely good news for human health ... Farming did cause a population boom ... but general health declined." I'd invite her to compare "population" (being *alive*) against "general health" and see which most human beings (of any era) would prefer.
For the audacity of her thesis and depth of research, Ms. Planck still earns her four stars. "Real Food" tells a good story (though one would think the publisher could have afforded printing layouts that actually separate sidebars from body text), supports its arguments and provides a mountain of nutritional information. If you want to eat better - and can afford to - she'll tell you how. If you can't afford it, well, I'm sure you can find the latest fad diet book on a remainder table at a substantial discount.
"
~ Written on 2008-09-21
"This is a great book! Everyone should read this before they eat another thing! I don't agree with her evolutionary opinions but her facts about food were well researched and she provides entertaining personal anecdotes."
~ Written on 2008-09-16
~ Written on 2008-09-16
"This book is full of well-researched, very important information about the food we eat, and the effects industrialization has had on our food supply. Yet: it is not a downer, the answers to this problem are fairly easy (like find a producer of grass fed beef), and make sense. It is exciting to read how nutritious our food can be, and how the trend toward buying locally grown food can fit right into your life. This book is definitely worth the money."
~ Written on 2008-07-27
~ Written on 2008-07-27